Conventionally, in order to obtain a natural image, an image capture device employs bounce photography where flash light emitted from a light emitting section of a flash device is radiated to a reflector such as a ceiling or wall, is diffused, and indirectly illuminates a subject for photographing.
In other words, in the bounce photography, the irradiation surface of the light emitting section of the flash device is pointed to a desired direction pointing to the reflector such as the ceiling or wall without facing the subject, the flash light is reflected on the reflector to illuminate the subject, and the subject is photographed.
A disclosed conventional flash device (for example, Patent Literature 1) is configured so that a control section of the flash device automatically controls the bounce angle between a photographing direction, namely the optical axis direction of a photographing lens, and an irradiation direction in which flash light is radiated (desired direction pointing to the reflector). Thus, the light emitting section of the flash device can emit flash light always in the direction pointing to the reflector, and can indirectly illuminate the subject.
The flash device of Patent Literature 1, however, points respective photographing lens of the image capture device to the reflector and subject and measures the distances to them with automatic focus, and sets the bounce angle based on the distances to the reflector and subject. Therefore, whenever the attitude (photographing direction) of the image capture device is changed in response to the photographing intent, it is required that the control section of the flash device measures the distances with automatic focus, sets the bounce angle again, and changes the irradiation direction to any direction pointing to the reflector. As a result, the flash device of Patent Literature 1 requires a long time for preparation for photographing, and hence photo opportunity is missed.